System, apparatus, and method for remote soil moisture measurement and control

ABSTRACT

A system for remote moisture monitoring and control includes: a measurement vehicle, including a vehicle body, a vehicle control unit, a transmitter antenna, and a receiver antenna; a moisture control server, including a processor, a non-transitory memory, an input/output, and antenna manager, a multi spectrum analyzer, a sensor manager, an irrigation manager, a soil simulator and a data bus; a vehicle storage facility; an irrigation controller; irrigation valves; a mobile control device; ground sensors. Also disclosed is a method including piloting measurement vehicle; obtaining moisture measurements, including controlling outbound transmission, determining reflected power, calculating dielectric constant via reflection calculation, determining soil moisture via lookup in soil calibration table; obtaining sensor measurements; calculating soil model; and adjusting irrigation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/127,243, filed Mar. 2, 2015.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of soil moisturemeasurement, and more particularly to methods and systems for remotemeasurement of soil moisture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most of the world is suffering in a chronic state lacking fresh drinkingwater. This leads to a shortage of water for agriculture which makes itexpensive or impossible to grow crops effectively.

Increased need for water conservation in recent years has led to higherfood prices and higher costs for farmers and consumers alike. The needfor conservation has stemmed from higher demands on food production andhigher population bases in localized areas. Water authorities around theUnited States, and the world are enacting watering limits and waterusage expectations to ensure the valuable resource is being usedcarefully.

In addition to agricultural needs, residential, sporting and landscapingall consume water at an alarming rate. It has been shown that incommercial crops, the amount of water used will greatly affect theprofitability of the farm and therefore farmers are economicallymotivated to use the water carefully. Residential users of water arealso motivated to conserve water for economic reasons.

Soil is a variable mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids,and various biological organisms. Commonly, soil is mainly comprised ofa composition of various percentages of sand, silt, and clay. Theability for soil to retain water is highly dependent on the averageparticle size as the water “takes up the space” between the soilparticles and the water tension is the mechanism which holds it inposition. Many commercial farms or large agricultural areas do not havea uniform soil type consequently various areas require more/less waterto maintain the same crop yield and quality.

Due to a lacking of accurate methods and devices for assessing watercontent of soil, farmers and other users of soil often end up using morewater than necessary or optimal, or end up distributing water in asub-optimal manner, such that some areas are watered less than optimal,and other areas are overwatered. This may cause direct environmentalconcerns, but also can create economic losses by water expenditure andcrop yield loss.

As such, considering the foregoing, it may be appreciated that therecontinues to be a need for novel and improved devices and methods forsoil moisture measurement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the presentinvention, wherein in aspects of this invention, enhancements areprovided to the existing model of soil moisture measurement.

In an aspect, a system for remote moisture monitoring and control caninclude:

-   -   a) at least one measurement vehicle, further including:        -   a vehicle body, which for example can be a ground vehicle            body or an aviation vehicle body;        -   a vehicle control unit, which can be attached to the vehicle            body; and        -   at least one transceiver antenna, which can be configured to            send and receive electromagnetic signals, wherein the            electromagnetic signals are reflected back from a ground            surface layer of soil in a field;    -   b) a moisture control server, which can be connected to the        measurement vehicle, via a network;    -   wherein the vehicle control unit can control transmission of an        outbound electromagnetic signal with a predetermined incident        wave power, via the transceiver antenna;    -   wherein the vehicle control unit is configured to determine a        reflected power of an inbound electromagnetic signal, which is        received via the transceiver antenna, wherein the inbound        electromagnetic signal is a reflection in the soil of the        outbound electromagnetic signal;    -   wherein the moisture control server is configured to determine a        soil moisture of the field by lookup of a calculated dielectric        constant in a soil calibration table that correlates dielectric        constant with soil moisture;    -   wherein the moisture control server is configured to calculate        the calculated dielectric constant via a reflection calculation,        based on a predetermined dielectric constant of air, the        incident wave power, and the reflected power.

In a related aspect, the moisture control server can be configured toperiodically update the soil calibration table based on measurementsagainst a calibration sample with known soil moisture values, wherebythe moisture control server can be configured to perform a differentialcalculation of soil moisture

In another aspect, a method for remote moisture monitoring and controlcan include:

-   -   a) Piloting measurement vehicle, wherein a measurement vehicle        can be piloted over a field;    -   b) Obtaining moisture measurements, wherein the measurement        vehicle obtains moisture measurements from the field,        comprising:        -   i. controlling transmission of an outbound electromagnetic            signal with a predetermined incident wave power;        -   ii. determining a reflected power of an inbound            electromagnetic signal, wherein the inbound electromagnetic            signal is a reflection of the outbound electromagnetic            signal in soil of the field;        -   iii. calculating a calculated dielectric constant via a            reflection calculation, based on a predetermined dielectric            constant of air, the incident wave power, and the reflected            power; and        -   iv. determining a soil moisture of the field by lookup of            the calculated dielectric constant in a soil calibration            table that correlates dielectric constant with soil            moisture;    -   c) Obtaining sensor measurements, wherein the measurement        vehicle obtains sensor measurements from the field, comprising:        -   receiving sensor measurements from ground sensors in the            field;    -   d) Calculating soil model, comprising implementing a numerical        soil model, wherein a moisture control server calculates        moisture propagation as a three-dimensional boundary value        problem, by solving a predetermined set of ordinary differential        equations with predetermined boundary values, wherein the        predetermined set of ordinary differential equations are        configured to model moisture and water propagation in the field;        -   e) Adjusting irrigation, comprising:    -   Controlling irrigation in the field by adjusting irrigation        valves, based on predictions from the numerical soil model.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of theinvention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may bebetter understood, and in order that the present contribution to the artmay be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodimentsof the invention that will be described below and which will form thesubject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments inaddition to those described and of being practiced and carried out invarious ways. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseologyand terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for thepurpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for remote moisturemonitoring and control, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a side view of a measurementvehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a side view of a measurementvehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram illustrating a side view of a measurementvehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram illustrating a bottom view of themeasurement vehicle shown in FIG. 4A, according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating moisture control server,according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle control unit,according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mobile control device,according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating steps that may be followed, inaccordance with one embodiment of a method or process of remote moisturemonitoring and control.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before describing the invention in detail, it should be observed thatthe present invention resides primarily in a novel and non-obviouscombination of elements and process steps. So as not to obscure thedisclosure with details that will readily be apparent to those skilledin the art, certain conventional elements and steps have been presentedwith lesser detail, while the drawings and specification describe ingreater detail other elements and steps pertinent to understanding theinvention.

The following embodiments are not intended to define limits as to thestructure or method of the invention, but only to provide exemplaryconstructions. The embodiments are permissive rather than mandatory andillustrative rather than exhaustive.

The system described utilizes active radar which sends a pulse of energy(at various frequencies as required) to the soil, the radar penetratesthe soil at a depth inversely proportional to the transmitting frequencyand a portion of the signal is reflected back to the transmitter basedon the difference in dielectric constant between air and soil. When thesignal returns to the receiver if the apparatus uses one antenna thetransmitter is turned off, if using multiple antennas there is no needto turn off the transmitter. Knowing the transmit power and receivepower, the device then calculates the reflection coefficient of the soilat that frequency and thereby determines the mean dielectric constant ofthe soil over a volume defined by radiation area and a depth which is afunction of transmit frequency. In related embodiments, the transmissionfrequency can be modulated in such a way as to optimize the measurementof receive power as a function of time, which can allow the system toimage dielectric constant as a function of depth.

In related embodiment, the transmission frequency can be modulatedutilizing direct sequence spread spectrum techniques, which allowssimultaneous transmission and receiving of active radar due to thespreading gain, thereby also providing greater accuracy.

By utilizing different frequencies, for example, 400 MHz, 200 MHz, 100MHz, and 27 MHz, soil moisture can be determined as a function of depthby measuring the reflection coefficient at different frequencies, forexample:

-   -   a) at a 400 MHz transmission frequency soil moisture can be        measured at a depth of ^(˜)4 inches in sandy loam soil with        er=10 and sigma=0.17;    -   b) at a 200 MHz transmission frequency soil moisture can be        measured at a depth of ^(˜)8 inches in sandy loam soil with        er=10 and sigma=0.17;    -   such that soil moisture can be determined at 0-4 inches and at        4-8 inches of depth.

An advantage of using this technique is that measurements are madeutilizing a radar that is passed above the soil without requiring directcontact with soil. Installation of soil moisture sensors and systems isexpensive and only provide soil moisture at one location, whereby thesesensors are typically removed prior to harvesting making their use timeconsuming. Another advantage to this technique is its ability to deliververy accurate measurements of soil moisture taken at regular orirregular intervals of spatial dimensions.

A typical embodiment would be to mount the device into a flying deviceor ground robot which is either automated or driven/flown by hand, thusallowing three-dimensional mapping of soil moisture whenever required bythe agronomist or manager of the farm or open green area.

Henceforth herein, Soil-water flux, J, is defined as the quantity ofwater leaving the profile per unit time across a specific depth and isequal to the −1* hydraulic conductivity “K(θ)” multiplied by the head or“dH”, or J=−K(θ)*dH. Combining Soil-water flux with the equation ofcontinuity yields a differential equation solution to hydraulicconductivity or dθ/dt=d/dz(K(θ)*(dH/dz)) which is a measurement of soilwater flow in the z direction.

In the following, we describe the structure of an embodiment of a systemfor a system for remote moisture monitoring and control 100 withreference to FIG. 1, in such manner that like reference numerals referto like components throughout; a convention that we shall employ for theremainder of this specification.

In an embodiment a system for remote moisture monitoring and control 100can include:

-   -   a) At least one measurement vehicle 110, further including:        -   i. a vehicle body 112, wherein the vehicle body is selected            from the group consisting of a ground vehicle body and an            aviation vehicle body;        -   ii. a vehicle control unit 114, which is attached to the            vehicle body; and        -   iii. at least one transceiver antenna 116, which is            configured to send and receive electromagnetic signals,            wherein the electromagnetic signals can be bounced off a            ground surface layer of a field;    -   b) A vehicle storage facility 120, which can be configured to        receive the at least one measurement vehicle 110;    -   c) A moisture control server 130, which can be connected to the        measurement vehicle 110, via a network;    -   d) An irrigation controller 140, which is connected to the        moisture control server 130;    -   e) Irrigation valves 150, which are connected to the irrigation        controller 140, such that the irrigation controller 140 is        configured to control the irrigation valves 150, which are        configured to adjust irrigation of the field;    -   f) A mobile control device 160, which is connected to the        control server, such that the mobile control device 160 can be        configured to enable a user 190 to control functions of the        control server, via interaction with the mobile control device        160;    -   g) at least one ground sensor 170, which can be connected to the        vehicle control unit 114, such that the vehicle control unit 114        can receive sensor measurements from the at least one ground        sensor 170.

In a related embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a measurement vehicle 110can be configured as a ground vehicle 210, which includes wheels 213 ortracks, to remotely measure soil moisture in an agricultural field orother recreational or commercial landscape area, such as a golf course.The ground vehicle can be a small remote controlled vehicle with alength of 10″-30″, or larger.

In related embodiments, for ground vehicles 210, the transceiver antenna116 can comprise separate transmission 218 and receiver antennas 219.

In related embodiments, for ground vehicles 210, the transceiver antenna116 can comprise at least one or several of:

a) a soil moisture radar transmitting in a range of 0.2 to 1 Ghz;

b) a light spectrometer transmitting in a range of 400 to 950 nm; and

c) a FLIR thermal imager transmitting in a range of 900 to 14000 nm.

In a related embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a measurement vehicle 110can be configured as an aviation vehicle 310, here shown in aconfiguration as an airship measurement vehicle 310.

In further related embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, transmission andreceiving antenna functions of aviation vehicles 310 can typically beconfigured in one or more transceiver antennas 116, in order to reduceweight and improve space efficiency.

In another related embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, ameasurement vehicle 110 can be configured as an aviation vehicle 410,here shown in a configuration as a quadcopter measurement vehicle 410,also referred to as remote controlled drone 410.

In a related embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a moisture control server130 can include:

-   -   a) A processor 502;    -   b) A non-transitory memory 504;    -   c) An input/output component 506;    -   d) An antenna manager 510, which can be configured to control        functions of a transceiver antenna 116 on a measurement vehicle        in communication with a vehicle control unit 114;        -   wherein the antenna manager 510 can be configured to            generate and transmit an outbound radio frequency spectrum            in communication with the transceiver antenna 116, via the            vehicle control unit 114;        -   wherein the antenna manager 510 is configured to receive,            store, and process a return radio frequency spectrum in            communication with the transceiver antenna 116, via the            vehicle control unit 114;

e) A multi spectrum analyzer 512, which can be configured to analyze thereturn radio frequency spectrum;

f) A sensor manager 514, which can be configured to receive, store, andprocess sensor measurements received in communication with the groundsensors 170, via the vehicle control unit 114; and

-   -   g) An irrigation manager 516, which is configured to control        irrigation valves 150 in communication via the irrigation        controller 140; all connected via h) A data bus 520.

In a related embodiment, a vehicle control unit 114 can include:

-   -   a) A processor 602;    -   b) A non-transitory memory 604;    -   c) An input/output 606;    -   d) An antenna controller 610, which can be configured to        communicate with and control functions of the transceiver        antenna 116, including communicating the outbound radio        frequency spectrum to the transceiver antenna 116 for        transmission by the transceiver antenna 116 and receiving the        return radio frequency spectrum in communication with the        transceiver antenna 116;    -   e) A sensor controller 612, which can be configured to receive        the sensor data in communication with the ground sensors 170;        and    -   f) A location controller 614, which can be configured to        determine a location of the measurement vehicle 110, for example        via GPS, and/or WIFI or radio triangulation, or other well-known        location methods; all connected via    -   g) A data bus 620.

In a related embodiment, a mobile control device 160 can include:

-   -   a) A processor 702;    -   b) A non-transitory memory 704;    -   c) An input/output 706; and    -   d) A control graphical user interface 710, which can be        configured to enable a user 190 to control functions of the        moisture control server 130 and view data obtained in        communication with the moisture control server 130; all        connected via    -   e) A data bus 720.

In related embodiments, the mobile control device 160 can includeconfigurations as:

-   -   a) A web application, executing in a Web browser;    -   b) A tablet app, executing on a tablet device, such as for        example an Android or iOS tablet device;    -   c) A mobile app, executing on a mobile device, such as for        example an Android phone or iPhone, or any wearable mobile        device;    -   d) A desktop application, executing on a personal computer, or        similar device;    -   e) An embedded application, executing on a processing device,        such as for example a smart TV, a game console or other system.

In a related embodiment, the vehicle control unit 114 can be configuredto generate an outbound radio frequency spectrum and measure a returnradio frequency spectrum, in communication with the transceiver antenna116.

In a related embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a transmission antenna 218and a receiver antenna 219 can be employed to transmit electromagneticenergy into the ground and receive the reflected energy for processingby the vehicle control unit 114, such that the data vehicle control unit114 can generate a transmitted frequency/power spectrum and process areceived frequency/power spectrum, to calculate soil moisture.

In a related embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a wireless transceiverantenna 116 can be employed to transmit electromagnetic energy into theground and receive the reflected energy from the ground using the sameantenna 116, such that the vehicle control unit 114 can generate andreceive radio signals for processing. Further, the wireless electronicscan connect the antenna using a switch from the transmitter to thereceiver then calculate the effective reflection coefficient of theground.

In a related embodiment, the measurement vehicle can further comprise asecond antenna, such that the second antenna can be tuned to a secondfrequency to improve soil moisture measurement as a function of depth.The vehicle control unit 114 can combine signals or elect to use asignal from either the first transceiver antenna 116 or the secondtransceiver antenna. The controller vehicle control unit 114 can storethe data for future download to the control server 130.

In another related embodiment, the ground sensors 170 can be stationarysensors which can be placed in fixed locations in the field. The groundsensors 170 can include: soil moisture sensors, soil salinity and PHsensors, weather sensors, plant nitrogen sensors, water flow ratesensors, water pressure sensors, water valves, and other types ofsensors. The ground sensors 170 can be wireless such that, when themobile device comes within range of a wireless network that is connectedto the moisture control server 130 and/or to the mobile control device160, such that sensor data is transferred from the sensor 170 to themoisture control server 130 and/or to the mobile control device 160,either directly via the wireless network, or indirectly via the moisturecontrol server 130. Thereby the system for remote moisture monitoringand control 100 can function across very large farming areas/fields,while not burdening the ground sensor 170 with transceivers capable ofcommunicating over multiple miles or batteries capable of supporting thelarge transmission power that would be needed for communication overlong distances.

In a related embodiment, the measurement vehicle 110 can be designed tomove throughout a field area and both gather sensor data from groundsensors 170 when the measurement vehicle 110 is within wireless rangeand measure soil moisture utilizing the transceiver antenna 116.

In a related embodiment, the measurement vehicle 110 can be configuredto move throughout the field area, either by aviation above the fieldarea or by driving on the field area, and either by a pre-programmedautomatic piloting method or by a manual method.

In a related embodiment, the measurement vehicle 110 can, during datagathering, store all measurements locally on the vehicle control unit114 and/or communicate the measurements to the moisture control server130, as it measures/retrieves the sensor data. Once the measurementvehicle 110 has completed its course, it returns to the vehicle storagefacility 120 and parks whereby a connection, which can be wired orwireless, or a combination thereof, is used to download the sensor datato the moisture control server 130.

In a related embodiment, the system for remote moisture monitoring andcontrol 100 can be configured such that the vehicle control unit 114 ofthe measurement vehicle 110 processes a received radio power/frequencyspectrum, based on a model for electromagnetic wave propagation in air,electromagnetic wave reflection in a presence of a dielectricdiscontinuity, the dielectric constant of air, the dielectric constantof soil as a function of water content, penetration depth of anelectromagnetic wave into a dielectric discontinuity.

It is well-known by those skilled in the art that advanced soil moisturemeasurement devices utilize time domain reflectometry to measure thedielectric constant of soil. The dielectric constant of soil varies as afunction of water contents of the soil. Dry soil, such as sand or loam,has a dielectric constant of approximately 4. Water has a dielectricconstant of approximately 18 times that of dry soil and therefore aswater molecules mix with dry soil the dielectric constant changes from 4to much greater than 50 depending on the soil type.

When an electromagnetic wave that is traveling in air reaches adielectric material, a portion of the power will continue through thetransition and a portion of the wave will be reflected. The reflectionis a function of the dielectric constant of air and the dielectricconstant of the medium the wave comes in contact with. Specifically,E_(r), the reflected wave is equal to the E_(i) the incident wavemultiplied by the reflection coefficient at the interface, orn₁—dielectric constant of air and n₂ the dielectric constant of thedielectric material, such as dry soil plus water, such that:

$E_{r} = {\left( \frac{n_{1} - n_{2}}{n_{1} + n_{2}} \right)E_{i}}$

Therefore, if we know the dielectric constant of air, n₁, the incidentwave power E_(i), and can measure the reflected power E_(r) then we cancalculate the average dielectric constant of the soil n₂, via areflection calculation, such that:

$n_{2} = \frac{n_{1}\left( {E_{i} - E_{r}} \right)}{E_{i} + E_{r}}$

Calibration charts of dielectric constant as a function of soil moistureand soil type are well-known for use in measuring soil moisture usingtime domain reflectometry. Given E_(r), E_(i), and n₁, we can calculaten₂, the dielectric constant of the soil, and apply a calibrated lookuptable relating dielectric constant and soil moisture to derive the soilmoisture.

In a related embodiment, the multi spectrum analyzer 512 of the moisturecontrol server 130 can be configured to calculate the dielectricconstant of the soil, and apply a calibrated lookup table relatingdielectric constant and soil moisture to derive the soil moisture,wherein the dielectric constant can be calculated via a reflectioncalculation.

When an electromagnetic wave hits the boundary of a dielectricdiscontinuity the wave penetrates the dielectric proportionally to thewavelength of the transmitted signal and the dielectric constantmismatch. This penetration depth, δ, also referred to as the skin depth,can be determined by the penetration formula:

$\delta = {\left( \frac{\sqrt{2}}{w\sqrt{\mu ɛ}} \right)\left\lbrack {\sqrt{1 + \left( \frac{\sigma}{\omega ɛ} \right)^{2}} - 1} \right\rbrack}^{- \frac{1}{2}}$

wherein:

σ is the conductivity,

∈ is the dielectric constant, or permittivity,

μ is the permeability of soil, and

ω=2πf, where f is the transmission frequency

In short, the depth of penetration can be measured and each time thefrequency is reduced the depth is increased. Therefore, measuring atmultiple frequencies is similar to measuring the soil moisture atdifferent depths as defined by the penetration formula show above,whereby soil moisture can be determined as a function of depth.

Therefore, knowing the transmit power, antenna gain, antenna beampattern, frequency, free space losses and scattering losses andmeasuring the receive power, the apparatus can easily measure reflectedpower and therefore can infer soil moisture.

In a related embodiment, the system for remote moisture monitoring andcontrol 100 can be configured such that:

the vehicle control unit 114 is configured to control transmission of anoutbound electromagnetic signal 118 with a predetermined incident wavepower, via the transceiver antenna 116;wherein the vehicle control unit 114 is configured to determine areflected power of an inbound electromagnetic signal 119, which isreceived via the transceiver antenna, wherein the inboundelectromagnetic signal is a reflection in the soil of the outboundelectromagnetic signal;wherein the moisture control server 130 is configured to determine asoil moisture of the field by lookup of a calculated dielectric constantin a soil calibration table 518 that correlates dielectric constant withsoil moisture;wherein the moisture control server 130 is configured to calculate thecalculated dielectric constant via a reflection calculation, based on apredetermined dielectric constant of air, the incident wave power, andthe reflected power.

In a related embodiment, the multi spectrum analyzer 512 can beconfigured to determine a soil moisture of the field by lookup of acalculated dielectric constant in a soil calibration table 518 thatcorrelates dielectric constant with soil moisture;

wherein the multi spectrum analyzer 512 can be configured to calculatethe calculated dielectric constant via a reflection calculation, basedon a predetermined dielectric constant of air, the incident wave power,and the reflected power.

The look-up can further include a linear or non-linear approximation oflookup values between table values of dielectric constants, in order toprovide a best fit look up of a soil moisture for a given dielectricconstant.

In a further related embodiment, the soil calibration table 518 can bestatic (i.e. invariant or constant), and can be optimized for use on aparticular field, or for use in a general area, whereby the multispectrum analyzer 512 can be configured to perform a single-ended orabsolute calculation of a dielectric constant.

In a further related embodiment, the soil calibration table 518 can bedynamic (i.e. updateable/variable), and can be optimized for use on aparticular field, or for use in a general area, whereby the multispectrum analyzer 512 can be configured to perform a differentialcalculation of soil moisture, which can include:

-   -   a) That the soil calibration table 518 can be periodically        updated based on measurement against a complete calibration        sample with known soil moisture, such that the entire        calibration table 518 is updated with calculated dielectric        constants correlated with known soil moisture values; or    -   b) That the soil calibration table 518 can be configured to be        periodically updated based on measurement against a partial        calibration sample with known soil moisture values, such that:        -   i. a first part of the calibration table 518 can be updated            with calculated dielectric constants correlated with known            soil moisture values; and        -   ii. a second part of the calibration table 518 is updated            such that a functional transform is applied to original soil            moisture values to obtain modified for table entries in the            second part of the calibration table 518, wherein the            functional transform is a best fit to the mapping of            original soil moisture values to updated soil moisture            values from the update of the first part of the calibration            table 518.            -   The functional transform can for example be linear                function or a non-linear function.

In a further related embodiment, the measurement vehicle 110 can forexample be configured to:

-   -   a) perform a daily partial calibration, for example during an        initial morning session, such that the soil calibration table        518 is updated based on measurement against a partial        calibration sample with known soil moisture values; and    -   b) perform a daily partial calibration, for example during an        initial morning session, such that the soil calibration table        518 is updated based on measurement against a complete        calibration sample with known soil moisture values.

In related embodiments, wherein the multi spectrum analyzer 512 isconfigured to perform a differential measurement of soil moisture, theimpact from errors and noise in the system for remote moisturemonitoring and control 100 can be canceled out or reduced, and thequality/accuracy of measurement can be improved by an order ofmagnitude.

In a further related embodiment, the multi spectrum analyzer 512 can beconfigured to determine a soil moisture of the field at a set ofpredetermined penetration depths by sending a set of transmissionssignals with varying frequency, in communication with the antennamanager 510, which communicates with the transceiver antenna 116, andthereby adjusting the average penetration depth of a return signal, andthereby obtaining a first set of moisture measurements for each averagepenetration depth.

In a yet further related embodiment, the multi spectrum analyzer 512 canfurther be configured to calculate the sequences of differences betweensuccessive measurements in the first set of moisture measurements, inorder of increasing penetration depth, thereby determining a set ofdiscrete measurements at varying penetration depths, which aggregate tothe moisture measurement at the maximum penetration depth.

In a further related embodiment, the multi spectrum analyzer 512 can beconfigured to determine a soil moisture of the field at a set ofpredetermined penetration depths by sending a series of bursts at aburst frequency of transmission signals at a predetermined transmissionfrequency, in communication with the antenna manager 510, whichcommunicates with the transceiver antenna 116, such that the multispectrum analyzer 512 is configured to execute high-frequency samplingat a sampling frequency, which is a multiple higher than the burstfrequency, such that the multi spectrum analyzer for each burst in theseries of bursts obtains a series of return signal samplings, while theburst is penetrating to a predetermined penetration depth, incommunication with the transceiver antenna 116, and thereby obtaining asecond set of sequential moisture measurements at ratios of thepenetration depth.

In a yet further related embodiment, the multi spectrum analyzer 512 canfurther be configured to calculate the sequences of differences betweensuccessive measurements in the second set of moisture measurements, inorder of increasing penetration depth, thereby determining a set ofdiscrete measurements at varying penetration depths, which aggregate tothe moisture measurement at the maximum penetration depth.

In a related embodiment, the moisture control server 130 can furtherinclude a soil simulator 520, which is configured to performcalculations on a model of the soil in a field, whereby the soilsimulator 520 can perform calculations on a 3-dimensional model of soilmoisture of farmland and large agricultural areas.

In a further related embodiment, the soil simulator 520 can implement anumerical soil model, which calculates moisture propagation as a threedimensional boundary value problem, wherein boundary values are definedby the soil to air interface (surface, x and y), and soil below surface(along the z axis) over a field area. The soil simulator 520 can modelkey parameters, which describe the soil in the field, including:

a) Soil particle size distribution (soil particle size in 3 dimensions);

b) Hydraulic conductivity (water flows in the z axis direction);

c) Soil water diffusivity (water moving in the x, and y direction).

In a yet further related embodiment, the soil simulator 520 can beconfigured with a numerical soil model, which uses well-known methodsfor solving a set of ordinary differential equations with boundaryvalues, including the shooting method, extended shooting methods, finitedifference analysis, Galerkin methods, or collocation methods, and otherwell-known methods or algorithms for solving boundary value problems.

In a related embodiment, the boundary values can be:

-   -   a) a set of soil moisture measurements, each correlated with a        location;    -   b) a set of sensor measurement, obtained from the ground sensors        170, each sensor measurement correlated with a location.

In related embodiments, the numerical soil model will result indelivering soil moisture readings and soil water storage as a functionof time thereby helping local managers of farmland or large agriculturalareas to optimize watering and care of crops. Furthermore, scenarios canbe fed into the model which will further add in its value to localmanagers as they will be able to test different scenarios, such as croptype, crop maturity, weather conditions, water conditions, etc.

In a related embodiment, the soil simulator 520 can be configured toimplement a numerical soil model, which calculates moisture propagationas a three-dimensional boundary value problem, by solving apredetermined set of ordinary differential equations with predeterminedboundary values, wherein the boundary values can include:

-   -   a) a set of soil moisture measurements, each correlated with a        soil location; and    -   b) a set of sensor measurements, obtained from the ground        sensors, each sensor measurement correlated with a sensor        location.

It shall be understood that an executing instance of an embodiment ofthe system for remote moisture monitoring and control 100, as shown inFIG. 1, can include a plurality of mobile control devices 160, which areeach tied to one or more users 190.

An executing instance of an embodiment of the system for remote moisturemonitoring and control 100, as shown in FIG. 1, can similarly include aplurality of moisture control servers 130.

In an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 8, a method for remote moisturemonitoring and control 800 can include:

-   -   a) Piloting measurement vehicle 802, wherein a measurement        vehicle 110 is piloted over a field, such that the measurement        vehicle 210 for example can be a ground vehicle 210, which is        driving over the field, or an aviation vehicle 310 410, which is        flying over the field;    -   b) Obtaining moisture measurements 804, wherein the measurement        vehicle 110 obtains moisture measurements from the field,        comprising:        -   i. controlling transmission of an outbound electromagnetic            signal with a predetermined incident wave power;        -   ii. determining a reflected power of an inbound            electromagnetic signal, wherein the inbound electromagnetic            signal is a reflection in soil of the field of the outbound            electromagnetic signal;        -   iii. calculating a calculated dielectric constant via a            reflection calculation, based on a predetermined dielectric            constant of air, the incident wave power, and the reflected            power; and        -   iv. determining a soil moisture of the field by lookup of            the calculated dielectric constant in a soil calibration            table that correlates dielectric constant with soil            moisture;    -   c) Obtaining sensor measurements 806, wherein the measurement        vehicle 110 obtains sensor measurements from the field,        comprising:        -   receiving sensor measurements from ground sensors in the            field;    -   d) Calculating soil model 808, comprising        -   wherein a moisture control server 130 calculates moisture            propagation as a three-dimensional boundary value problem on            a numerical soil model of the field, by solving a            predetermined set of ordinary differential equations with            predetermined boundary values, wherein the predetermined set            of ordinary differential equations are configured to model            moisture propagation in the field, wherein the boundary            values include:            -   a set of soil moisture measurements, each correlated                with a soil location; and            -   a set of sensor measurements, obtained from the ground                sensors, each sensor measurement correlated with a                sensor location;    -   e) Adjusting irrigation 810, comprising:        -   v. Controlling irrigation in the field by adjusting            irrigation valves, including:            -   1. increasing irrigation in the field, in locations                where the numerical soil model predicts that soil                moisture is less than an optimal soil moisture value;                and            -   2. decreasing irrigation in the field, in locations                where the numerical soil model predicts that soil                moisture is above the optimal soil moisture value.

FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are block diagrams and flowcharts, methods, devices,systems, apparatuses, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. It shall be understood that eachblock or step of the block diagram, flowchart and control flowillustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagram,flowchart and control flow illustrations, can be implemented by computerprogram instructions or other means. Although computer programinstructions are discussed, an apparatus or system according to thepresent invention can include other means, such as hardware or somecombination of hardware and software, including one or more processorsor controllers, for performing the disclosed functions.

In this regard, FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 depict the computer devices of variousembodiments, each containing several of the key components of ageneral-purpose computer by which an embodiment of the present inventionmay be implemented. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciatethat a computer can include many components. However, it is notnecessary that all of these generally conventional components be shownin order to disclose an illustrative embodiment for practicing theinvention. The general-purpose computer can include a processing unitand a system memory, which may include various forms of non-transitorystorage media such as random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory(ROM). The computer also may include nonvolatile storage memory, such asa hard disk drive, where additional data can be stored.

FIG. 1 shows a depiction of an embodiment of the system for remotemoisture monitoring and control 100, including the moisture controlserver 130, the vehicle control unit 114, and the mobile control devices160. In this relation, a server shall be understood to represent ageneral computing capability that can be physically manifested as one,two, or a plurality of individual physical computing devices, located atone or several physical locations. A server can for example bemanifested as a shared computational use of one single desktop computer,a dedicated server, a cluster of rack-mounted physical servers, adatacenter, or network of datacenters, each such datacenter containing aplurality of physical servers, or a computing cloud, such as Amazon EC2or Microsoft Azure.

It shall be understood that the above-mentioned components of themoisture control server 130, the vehicle control unit 114, and themobile control device 160 are to be interpreted in the most generalmanner.

For example, the processors 502 602 702, can each respectively include asingle physical microprocessor or microcontroller, a cluster ofprocessors, a datacenter or a cluster of datacenters, a computing cloudservice, and the like.

In a further example, the non-transitory memories 504 604 704 can eachrespectively include various forms of non-transitory storage media,including random access memory and other forms of dynamic storage, andhard disks, hard disk clusters, cloud storage services, and other formsof long-term storage. Similarly, the input/outputs 506 606 706 can eachrespectively include a plurality of well-known input/output devices,such as screens, keyboards, pointing devices, motion trackers,communication ports, and so forth.

Furthermore, it shall be understood that the moisture control server130, the vehicle control unit 114, and the mobile control device 160 caneach respectively include a number of other components that are wellknown in the art of general computer devices, and therefore shall not befurther described herein. This can include system access to commonfunctions and hardware, such as for example via operating system layerssuch as Windows, Linux, and similar operating system software, but canalso include configurations wherein application services are executingdirectly on server hardware or via a hardware abstraction layer otherthan a complete operating system.

An embodiment of the present invention can also include one or moreinput or output components, such as a mouse, keyboard, monitor, and thelike. A display can be provided for viewing text and graphical data, aswell as a user interface to allow a user to request specific operations.Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention may be connected toone or more remote computers via a network interface. The connection maybe over a local area network (LAN) wide area network (WAN), and caninclude all of the necessary circuitry for such a connection.

In a related embodiment, the vehicle control unit 114 communicates withthe moisture control server 130 over a first network, which can includethe general Internet, a Wide Area Network or a Local Area Network, oranother form of communication network, transmitted on wired or wirelessconnections. Wireless networks can for example include Ethernet, Wi-Fi,Bluetooth, ZigBee, and NFC. The communication can be transferred via asecure, encrypted communication protocol.

In a related embodiment, the mobile control device 160 communicates withthe moisture control server 130 over a second network, which can includethe general Internet, a Wide Area Network or a Local Area Network, oranother form of communication network, transmitted on wired or wirelessconnections. Wireless networks can for example include Ethernet, Wi-Fi,Bluetooth, ZigBee, and NFC. The communication can be transferred via asecure, encrypted communication protocol.

Typically, computer program instructions may be loaded onto the computeror other general-purpose programmable machine to produce a specializedmachine, such that the instructions that execute on the computer orother programmable machine create means for implementing the functionsspecified in the block diagrams, schematic diagrams or flowcharts. Suchcomputer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readablemedium that when loaded into a computer or other programmable machinecan direct the machine to function in a particular manner, such that theinstructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an articleof manufacture including instruction means that implement the functionspecified in the block diagrams, schematic diagrams or flowcharts.

In addition, the computer program instructions may be loaded into acomputer or other programmable machine to cause a series of operationalsteps to be performed by the computer or other programmable machine toproduce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions thatexecute on the computer or other programmable machine provide steps forimplementing the functions specified in the block diagram, schematicdiagram, flowchart block or step.

Accordingly, blocks or steps of the block diagram, flowchart or controlflow illustrations support combinations of means for performing thespecified functions, combinations of steps for performing the specifiedfunctions and program instruction means for performing the specifiedfunctions. It will also be understood that each block or step of theblock diagrams, schematic diagrams or flowcharts, as well ascombinations of blocks or steps, can be implemented by special purposehardware-based computer systems, or combinations of special purposehardware and computer instructions, that perform the specified functionsor steps.

As an example, provided for purposes of illustration only, a data inputsoftware tool of a search engine application can be a representativemeans for receiving a query including one or more search terms. Similarsoftware tools of applications, or implementations of embodiments of thepresent invention, can be means for performing the specified functions.For example, an embodiment of the present invention may include computersoftware for interfacing a processing element with a user-controlledinput device, such as a mouse, keyboard, touch screen display, scanner,or the like. Similarly, an output of an embodiment of the presentinvention may include, for example, a combination of display software,video card hardware, and display hardware. A processing element mayinclude, for example, a controller or microprocessor, such as a centralprocessing unit (CPU), arithmetic logic unit (ALU), or control unit.

Here has thus been described a multitude of embodiments of the moisturecontrol server 130, the vehicle control unit 114, and the mobile controldevices 160, and methods related thereto, which can be employed innumerous modes of usage.

The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from thedetailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claimsto cover all such features and advantages of the invention, which fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention.

For example, alternative embodiments can reconfigure or combine thecomponents of the moisture control server 130, the vehicle control unit114, and the mobile control device 160. The components of the moisturecontrol server 130 can be distributed over a plurality of physical,logical, or virtual servers. Parts or all of the components of themobile control device 160 can be configured to operate in the moisturecontrol server 130, whereby the mobile control devices 160 for examplecan function as a thin client, performing only graphical user interfacepresentation and input/output functions. Alternatively, parts or all ofthe components of the moisture control server 130 can be configured tooperate in the mobile control device 160.

Many such alternative configurations are readily apparent, and should beconsidered fully included in this specification and the claims appendedhereto. Accordingly, since numerous modifications and variations willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated anddescribed, and thus, all suitable modifications and equivalents may beresorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for remote moisture monitoring andcontrol, comprising: a) at least one measurement vehicle, furtherincluding: a vehicle body, wherein the vehicle body is selected from thegroup consisting of a ground vehicle body and an aviation vehicle body;a vehicle control unit, which is attached to the vehicle body; and atleast one transceiver antenna, which is configured to send and receiveelectromagnetic signals, wherein the electromagnetic signals arereflected back from a ground surface layer of soil in a field; and b) amoisture control server, which is connected to the measurement vehicle,via a network; wherein the vehicle control unit is configured to controltransmission of an outbound electromagnetic signal with a predeterminedincident wave power, via the transceiver antenna; wherein the vehiclecontrol unit is configured to determine a reflected power of an inboundelectromagnetic signal, which is received via the transceiver antenna,wherein the inbound electromagnetic signal is a reflection in the soilof the outbound electromagnetic signal; wherein the moisture controlserver is configured to determine a soil moisture of the field by lookupof a calculated dielectric constant in a soil calibration table thatcorrelates dielectric constant with soil moisture; wherein the moisturecontrol server is configured to calculate the calculated dielectricconstant via a reflection calculation, based on a predetermineddielectric constant of air, the incident wave power, and the reflectedpower.
 2. The system for remote moisture monitoring and control of claim1, wherein the at least one transceiver antenna comprises: a) a separatetransmission antenna; and b) a separate receiver antenna.
 3. The systemfor remote moisture monitoring and control of claim 1, furthercomprising: a vehicle storage facility, which is configured to receivethe at least one measurement vehicle.
 4. The system for remote moisturemonitoring and control of claim 1, further comprising: a) an irrigationcontroller, which is connected to the moisture control server; and b)irrigation valves, which are connected to the irrigation controller,such that the irrigation controller is configured to control theirrigation valves, which are configured to adjust irrigation of thefield.
 5. The system for remote moisture monitoring and control of claim1, further comprising: a mobile control device, which is connected tothe control server, such that the mobile control device is configured toenable a user to control functions of the control server, viainteraction with the mobile control device.
 6. The system for remotemoisture monitoring and control of claim 1, further comprising: at leastone ground sensor, which is connected to the vehicle control unit, suchthat the vehicle control unit is configured to receive sensormeasurements from the at least one ground sensor.
 7. The system forremote moisture monitoring and control of claim 1, wherein the moisturecontrol server further comprises: a) a processor; b) a non-transitorymemory; c) an input/output component; d) an antenna manager, which isconfigured to control functions of the at least one transceiver antennain communication with the vehicle control unit; wherein the antennamanager is configured to generate and transmit an outbound radiofrequency spectrum in communication with the at least one transceiverantenna, via the vehicle control unit; wherein the antenna manager isconfigured to receive, store, and process a return radio frequencyspectrum in communication with the transceiver antenna, via the vehiclecontrol unit; and e) a multi spectrum analyzer, which is configured toanalyze the return radio frequency spectrum; all connected via f) a databus.
 8. The system for remote moisture monitoring and control of claim7, wherein the moisture control server further comprises: a sensormanager, which is configured to receive, store, and process a sensormeasurement received in communication with a ground sensor, via thevehicle control unit.
 9. The system for remote moisture monitoring andcontrol of claim 7, wherein the moisture control server furthercomprises: an irrigation manager, which is configured to controlirrigation valves in communication via an irrigation controller.
 10. Thesystem for remote moisture monitoring and control of claim 7, whereinthe multi spectrum analyzer is further configured to: send a set oftransmissions signals with varying frequency, in communication with theantenna manager, which communicates with the transceiver antenna; andthereby adjust the average penetration depth of a return signal, andthereby obtain a set of moisture measurements, such that each moisturemeasurement is correlated with a corresponding average penetrationdepth; whereby the multi spectrum analyzer is configured to determine asoil moisture of the field at a set of predetermined penetration depths.11. The system for remote moisture monitoring and control of claim 10,wherein the multi spectrum analyzer is further configured to: calculatea sequence of differences between successive measurements in the set ofmoisture measurements, in order of increasing penetration depth, therebydetermining a set of discrete measurements at varying penetrationdepths, which aggregate to a total moisture measurement at a maximumpenetration depth.
 12. The system for remote moisture monitoring andcontrol of claim 7, wherein the multi spectrum analyzer is furtherconfigured to: send a series of bursts at a burst frequency oftransmission signals at a predetermined transmission frequency, incommunication with the antenna manager, which communicates with thetransceiver antenna; such that the multi spectrum analyzer is configuredto execute high-frequency sampling at a sampling frequency, which is amultiple higher than the burst frequency, such that the multi spectrumanalyzer for each burst in the series of bursts obtains a series ofreturn signal samplings, while the burst is penetrating to apredetermined penetration depth, in communication with the antennamanager, which communicates with the transceiver antenna; and therebyobtain a set of sequential moisture measurements at ratios of thepenetration depth; whereby the multi spectrum analyzer is configured todetermine a soil moisture of the field at a set of predeterminedpenetration depths.
 13. The system for remote moisture monitoring andcontrol of claim 12, wherein the multi spectrum analyzer is furtherconfigured to: calculate a sequence of differences between successivemeasurements in the set of moisture measurements, in order of increasingpenetration depth, thereby determining a set of discrete measurements atvarying penetration depths, which aggregate to a total moisturemeasurement at a maximum penetration depth.
 14. The system for remotemoisture monitoring and control of claim 7, wherein the moisture controlserver further comprises: a soil simulator, which is configured toimplement a numerical soil model, which calculates moisture propagationas a three-dimensional boundary value problem, by solving apredetermined set of ordinary differential equations with predeterminedboundary values, wherein the boundary values include: a set of soilmoisture measurements, each correlated with a soil location; and a setof sensor measurements, obtained from the ground sensors, each sensormeasurement correlated with a sensor location.
 15. The system for remotemoisture monitoring and control of claim 7, wherein the moisture controlserver further comprises the soil calibration table, and wherein themulti spectrum analyzer is configured to periodically update the soilcalibration table based on measurements against a calibration samplewith known soil moisture values.
 16. The system for remote moisturemonitoring and control of claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unitfurther comprises: a) a processor; b) a non-transitory memory; c) aninput/output; d) an antenna controller, which is configured tocommunicate with and control functions of the transceiver antenna,including communicating the outbound radio frequency spectrum to thetransceiver antenna for transmission by the transceiver antenna andreceiving the return radio frequency spectrum in communication with thetransceiver antenna; and e) a sensor controller which is configured toreceive sensor data in communication with at least one ground sensor;all connected via f) a data bus.
 17. The system for remote moisturemonitoring and control of claim 16, wherein the vehicle control unitfurther comprises: a location controller, which is configured todetermine a location of the measurement vehicle.
 18. A method for remotemoisture monitoring and control, comprising: a) piloting a measurementvehicle, wherein the measurement vehicle is piloted over a field; and b)obtaining moisture measurements, wherein the measurement vehicle obtainsmoisture measurements from the field, comprising: controllingtransmission of an outbound electromagnetic signal with a predeterminedincident wave power; determining a reflected power of an inboundelectromagnetic signal, wherein the inbound electromagnetic signal is areflection in soil of the field of the outbound electromagnetic signal;calculating a calculated dielectric constant via a reflectioncalculation, based on a predetermined dielectric constant of air, theincident wave power, and the reflected power; and determining a soilmoisture of the field by lookup of the calculated dielectric constant ina soil calibration table that correlates dielectric constant with soilmoisture.
 19. The method for remote moisture monitoring and control ofclaim 18, further comprising: obtaining sensor measurements, wherein themeasurement vehicle receives sensor measurements from ground sensors inthe field.
 20. The method for remote moisture monitoring and control ofclaim 19, further comprising: calculating a numerical soil model,wherein a moisture control server calculates moisture propagation as athree-dimensional boundary value problem on a numerical soil model ofthe field, by solving a predetermined set of ordinary differentialequations with predetermined boundary values, wherein the predeterminedset of ordinary differential equations are configured to model moisturepropagation in the field, wherein the boundary values comprise: a set ofsoil moisture measurements, each correlated with a soil location; and aset of sensor measurements, obtained from the ground sensors, eachsensor measurement correlated with a sensor location.
 21. The method forremote moisture monitoring and control of claim 20, further comprising:adjusting irrigation, comprising adjusting irrigation valves to controlirrigation in the field, comprising: increasing irrigation in the field,in locations where the numerical soil model predicts that soil moistureis less than an optimal soil moisture value; and decreasing irrigationin the field, in locations where the numerical soil model predicts thatsoil moisture is above the optimal soil moisture value.
 22. The methodfor remote moisture monitoring and control of claim 18, wherein pilotingthe measurement vehicle further comprises: periodically updating thesoil calibration table based on measurements against a calibrationsample with known soil moisture values.